Get Help Now: Who to Call After a Scam, Hack, or Online Threat

Find your situation below. Each section lists who to contact first and what to do in the next hour. Act quickly, and don’t be embarrassed. Scams and online threats fool careful people every day. Phone numbers and websites were checked on October 25, 2026. Lea esta página en español.

Jump to: I lost money · My identity was stolen · An account was hacked · A child is at risk online · Someone is threatening to share images · An older adult is being exploited · Where to report

Not sure it was a scam? Try our two-minute scam self-check. Want a copy for the fridge? See our printable guides.

I lost money to a scam

Call the company you paid with first. The faster you call, the better the chance of stopping the payment.

• Credit or debit card: call the number on the back of the card. Report fraud and ask to reverse the charge.
• Bank transfer or Zelle: call your bank or credit union and ask them to reverse the transfer.
• Payment app (Venmo, Cash App, PayPal): report it in the app and call the bank or card linked to it.
• Gift card: call the company that issued the card. Keep the card and receipt. See Gift Cards Are Only for Gifts.
• Wire transfer: call the wire company (such as Western Union or MoneyGram) or your bank and ask them to reverse it.
• Cryptocurrency: contact the exchange or crypto ATM company right away, then report to the FBI at ic3.gov.
• Cash sent by mail: call the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455 and ask whether the package can be stopped.

Then report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov. Expect a follow-up call from someone offering to recover your money for a fee. That’s a second scam. See Refund, Settlement, and Recovery Scams.

My identity was stolen

1. Go to IdentityTheft.gov. It builds a personal recovery plan and an identity theft report you can give to businesses.
2. Freeze your credit at all three bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. It’s free. See our Credit Freeze guide.
3. Check your free credit reports at AnnualCreditReport.com for accounts you don’t recognize.
4. Call the fraud department of any company where an account was opened or used in your name.

For a child’s identity, see How to Freeze a Child’s Credit.

An account or device was hacked

1. From a different, trusted device, change the password for that account and for your email.
2. Turn on two-step sign-in, and sign out of all other sessions in the account’s security settings.
3. If the account is linked to money, call your bank or card company.
4. If someone controlled your computer remotely, disconnect it from the internet and remove the program they had you install.

Step-by-step guides: Hacked Social Media Account, Hacked Email, Tech Support Scams, and SIM Swap Scams if your phone suddenly lost service.

A child is at risk online

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911.

• An adult is contacting a child in a sexual way, or sexual images of a child are online: report it to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children’s CyberTipline at report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678, any time. Also contact local police.
• Save evidence, but don’t forward it. Write down usernames, dates and the app, and take screenshots of messages that don’t show sexual images. Never share or forward sexual images of a minor, even to report them.
• A child is being bullied: save the messages, block and report the account in the app, and talk to the school. Threats of violence go to police.
• A child or teen is in emotional crisis: call or text 988.

Someone is threatening to share private images

This is called sextortion. The person may demand money, gift cards or more images. Don’t pay and don’t send anything else. Paying usually leads to more demands.

1. Stop replying, but don’t delete the account or messages yet. Take screenshots of the threats, the username and the profile.
2. Block the person and report the account in the app.
3. If the images show someone under 18: use NCMEC’s free Take It Down tool to help remove them from participating platforms, and report to the CyberTipline.
4. If you’re an adult: report it to the FBI at ic3.gov.
5. Tell someone you trust. If you’re a teen, tell a parent or another adult. You’re not in trouble. The person threatening you is the one breaking the law.

An older adult is being scammed or exploited

• National Elder Fraud Hotline (U.S. Department of Justice): 1-833-372-8311 (1-833-FRAUD-11), weekdays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern. Case managers help older adults report fraud and find next steps.
• Adult Protective Services investigates abuse, neglect and financial exploitation of older and vulnerable adults. Find your state’s number through the NAPSA directory. Report to the state where the person lives.
• Eldercare Locator: 1-800-677-1116 or eldercare.acl.gov connects older adults and families with local services.

If you’re helping a parent who lost money, call their bank with them on the line. Banks can talk to you only with their permission. See Stop Scam Calls on a Parent’s Phone.

Where to report

• Any scam or fraud: Federal Trade Commission, ReportFraud.ftc.gov
• Online crime, crypto and sextortion: FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center, ic3.gov
• Identity theft: IdentityTheft.gov
• Child sexual exploitation: CyberTipline, 1-800-843-5678
• Social Security imposters: oig.ssa.gov
• Medicare fraud: 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)
• Mail fraud: U.S. Postal Inspection Service, 1-877-876-2455
• Your state: your state attorney general’s consumer protection office

A report rarely brings money back on its own, but it helps investigators connect cases. See Why Report Fraud?

Juggling Chaos is not an emergency service and can’t investigate cases. We will never ask for a password, payment, gift card or verification code. This page is general information, not legal advice. Numbers checked October 25, 2026; if one has changed, please tell us through our contact page.